The Telltale Heart
by wolfpack
Summary: Kat is an eight year old girl when she first meets Vash and her past is as mysterious as his. With Vash’s reputation and Kat unwilling to let her hero leave her behind, will our favorite outlaw be able to keep her safe from bounty hunters? R&R COMPLETE
1. Shirley Temple Shootout

**(A/N: **I know this is coming up on such short notice but I just decided that I wanted to post another story outside of the 'Hearts sequels.' If you missed the summary here's the full version:

Kat is an eight year old girl when she first meets Vash and her past is as mysterious as his. With Vash's reputation and Kat unwilling to let her hero leave her behind, will our favorite outlaw be able to keep her safe from bounty hunters? And what kind of influence does a gunslinger have on a child? Makes you wonder…R&R

I'm not sure where to go with this story and I've only written up to chapter two so don't kill me if it takes a while to update! Hope you like this one!) 

**PLEASE REVIEW!!!**

**_The Telltale Heart_**

**Chapter 1**

Ages:

Vash- 124

Kat- 8

She sat there drinking her Shirley Temple on this hot desert day. The bar was almost completely empty save for the few that were dubbed as 'regulars.' A Thomas snort could be heard from outside as a gust of wind blew in, irritating the skittish animal. 

"Another drink for you miss?" the bartender asked. 

 She was about to say that this was her last glass when the doors to the bar swung open. Heavy boots dragged against the wooden floor of the bar. The bar fell silent as soon as they picked up the man's troublesome aurora. 

The girl turned to see who it was. She peered at him from over her shoulder and an eye brow rose in curiosity. This man had wheat colored hair that stood straight up with a few locks hanging over to serve some sort of bangs. He wore orange tinted glasses and a red duster coat. One sleeve on the coat was missing and the entire arm, right down to the fingertips, was covered in leather straps and buckles. He carried a silver gun with him which added to his air of toughness. 

The bartender continued to wipe at a mug with an old rag to cover up his uneasiness. The man drew nearer and the bartender, without looking up from the mug he was cleaning, asked the man what he wanted, "What'll it be partner?" 

The man took a seat in the stool next to the girl and ground out, "Beer." 

The girl shifted uneasily in her seat wondering if there was a reason as to why he had chosen to sit next to her. There were plenty of other seats to sit in. She studied the man a bit closer and noticed that one of his ears was pierced. He also had a beauty mark, or mole, under one eye. His face was pretty much expressionless except for the slight frown he wore. The glasses hid his eyes and the girl could only wonder who he was. 

"I'll have another Shirley Temple," the girl said as she decided to stay a bit longer to investigate the man sitting next to her. The bartender raised an eyebrow but didn't ask any questions. The girl cursed herself for being too young to have something with alcohol in it.  

The man next to her sipped his beer and she got the feeling he was watching her. 'Perhaps it would have been smarter of me to leave. What have you gotten yourself into this time Katsura?'

The man took one last sip of his beer before opening his mouth to speak to her. She cut him off, "Who are you?" 

He smirked, "I was just about to ask you the same question." The bartender diverted his attention elsewhere but continued to listen in on their conversation. 

"In this town I'm known as Katsura, Meryl's sister," the girl replied seeing as she would have to give the man her name, "My friends call me Kat." 

The man's expression changed, "Meryl as in Meryl Strife?" 

Kat could have sworn she saw him smile. Her expression remained neutral even though she was a bit surprised, "You know her?" 

The man's expression shifted back to a more guarded one. He removed his glasses, "You might say that."

Kat's amber gaze met his and she almost gasped. His eyes were aquamarine and they seemed to stare right through her. For a split second she wondered if he was blind. The man broke the eye contact and pocked his glasses. Kat had seen something in his eyes that she rarely saw in anyone else's. She had seen extreme sadness and grief. 

The man coughed to break the silence and then explained how he knew her sister, "I've bumped into her a few times in this city while passing through. We've never spoken more than a word to each other though. I've overheard someone talking about her once but thought nothing of it." 

"Oh," was all Kat could say. She paused a moment, "What did you say your name was?" 

His eyes hardened into something of a glare before the mean look dissolved, "…I didn't tell you my name." His hand moved to the gun at his hip and he drew it out of the holster so fast Kat was barely able to register he had moved. 

The nearest window to her shattered as a bullet slammed into it. Kat cried out in pain as another bullet passed through her shoulder. The other occupants of the bar had already hightailed it out so it was just Kat, the bartender and the mysterious man left inside. A shout rang out through the firing guns, "We have you now Vash the Stampede!" 

The blonde glared at the door way, judging the escape, before snatching Kat off the stool she was perched on. She yelped in protest and a searing hot pain became noticeable to her. With each stride the man took, the pain in her shoulder increased. She was faintly aware that her blood was beginning to coat his shoulder. She could feel the warm liquid under her but the color of her blood blended with the crimson coat the man was wearing. She wondered if the man that was carrying her was Vash the Stampede. 'But then why would he be bothering to save my life?' She had heard stories about how he was a womanizer and now Kat feared for her life. Her shoulder was beginning to become numb. 'I've also heard tales that his coat was originally white, that it's now red from the blood of all the people he's killed…' 

The blonde continued to dodge bullets as he ran through the town's streets. 'I have to get her to a hospital. She's bleed so much I can feel it dripping down my arm.' He hissed as a bullet grazed his leg. The girl slung over his shoulder shifted as he took a sharp turn down one of the town's many allies. Foot steps sounded behind him and he turned his head from the men following him back to see where he was running to. 

His boots scraped against the ground attempting to gain traction. The outlaw skidded to a stop just as he was about to crash into a wall. He grunted in frustration to see that he was trapped. 

The men came to a stop behind him. "We're going to be rich!" one of the men said to the others, "As soon as we collect the bounty, we'll have enough money to retire for life!" 

The group leader stepped forward and aimed at Vash. Kat managed to turn her head enough to see what was going on. 

Vash was aware that the girl was still awake. He hissed through clenched teeth. 'There's no other way. I have to save her.' He tapped a pressure point on the girl's neck and felt her go limp almost instantly. He sighed and regretted what he did next. 

**(A/N: **Hope you like it so far! I'll try to have the next chapter up soon! **PLEASE REVIEW!!!)**


	2. Arrow to the Heart

**A/N: **Welcome to chapter two of **_The Telltale Heart_**. I'm happy to report that I have found the perfect ending for this story! So I **will **be finishing this. I don't think it will be anywhere near as long as the Hearts Sceries (the sequels I've done)… but I could be wrong… (though I highly doubt it…). 

Enjoy!

**PLEASE REVIEW!!!**

**_The Telltale Heart_**

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**Chapter 2**

**Ages:**

Vash- 124

Kat- 8

"Well, thanks to you; she got here just in time. What I just can't figure out is how she managed to get hurt this badly in the first place. She's not your daughter is she?" the doctor spoke to the blonde from earlier. 

"No, she's not my daughter…" the blonde paused confused. "When will she be able to get out of here?"

The doctor took a quick glance at Kat before nodding to himself, "I'd say she needs at least three more days. We need to make sure she doesn't have an infection." 

The blonde grunted his thanks and walked back into the hospital room Kat was in. He sank into the only chair in the room located in the corner at the end of the bed. He sighed and rubbed his temples. 

"You look tired," a voice drifted to him from the bed. 

He looked up to see the golden eyed burnet staring at him. She had one black and one white lock of hair on either side of her face. He was surprised to notice just now that she had a tattoo of tear drops, one inside the other, on her right cheek under her eye. He closed his eyes, "I'd be lying if I told you I wasn't."  

"How'd we manage to escape?" Kat asked him.

The blonde looked up at her, "Very blunt now are we?" 

Kat sneered, "Just a little. By the way, I still didn't catch the name of my 'hero.'" 

Vash opened his eyes to look at her when he spied something long shoot across the room. His hand flew out and snatched the item that had been shot at them.

Kat watched stunned as the man caught and shattered the shaft of the arrow, "Is everyone after you?!"

Vash stood and hurriedly tapped her pressure point.

Kat sat there with a confused and mildly angry expression on her face. 

The blonde grinned sheepishly before snatching her up and taking off out of the room and down the hall.  Doctors screamed at them to stop as they flew passed but it was apparent that that was the last thing on the two's minds. 

Kat was aware that the blonde was shoving and knocking everyone they passed to the floor. Arrows would sail over the heads of the people pushed and Kat wondered if he knew what he was doing. 

She was carried out onto the streets where guns began to fire at them. She and the man that was carrying her seemed to somehow manage to dodge every bullet fired at them. The blonde ran for the nearest car and was delighted to see that the keys had been left in the ignition. 

He dumped Kat in the back seat and hopped into the driver's. The car roared to life and he yelled to Kat, "Keep your head down!" Just as he commanded her to do so, a bullet passed through the windshield to prove his point. Glass spilled over them and Kat wished that the cars on this desert planet had roofs. The blonde absently brushed some glass off his lap and Kat noticed that a shard had gotten wedged into his hand. Once they had gotten far enough away from the firing, Kat leaned over the passenger seat. Her shoulder screamed in pain but she was amazed that the man hadn't noticed the glass shard. 

"Doesn't it hurt?" Kat asked him. 

He glanced at his hand and hurriedly pulled the glass shard out, hoping she hadn't seen. Kat caught site of the shard before he threw it away and frowned. There had been no blood on it. 'Perhaps there's more to him than meets the eye?'

**A/N: **Chapter three will be up soon! Hope you like how this is coming along! If you have any comments (that have nothing to do with spelling or grammar *coughs*) please leave them in a review. **PLEASE REVIEW!!!**


	3. Related to Who?

I'm sick, my head's pounding, and I have a fever too! So why do I feel the need to post a chapter? I have no idea…

**PLEASE REVIEW!!!**

**_The Telltale Heart_**

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**Chapter 3**

Ages: 

Vash- 124

Kat- 8

Kat sneezed as a grain of sand tickled the inside of her nose. Vash looked up at her, "Not catching a cold are you?" 

Kat rubbed her nose, "I don't think so…" 

Vash watched her through his orange tinted glasses, "How's your shoulder doing?"

Kat yawned, "It still hurts." 

There was another pause and Kat continued to stare into the flames of their small fire wondering who her companion was. He was unlike anyone else she had met and this only interested her more. Kat was pulled from her thoughts when she caught the movement of Vash's arm. 

"Are you hungry?" he asked holding out some sort of power bar. 

"Yes, thanks…" the issue of who he was came up again, "You still haven't told me your name." Her voice came out jokingly, "Perhaps you don't have one?" A smile pulled at the corners of his mouth and he glanced at her. He was sitting in an odd position, with his knees pulled up to his chest, and his head resting on his legs. "I still don't see how our car broke down," Kat commented. "It really sucks to be stuck out in the desert." They had made a small camp in the shelter of some rocks and had been fortunate to find enough weeds to start a fire. 

A cold wind blew through their camp and Kat shivered. She already had a blanket covering her but it was thin and small. Kat frowned as she became slightly warmer. She looked up to see that Vash had draped his blanket over her. She was happy that she was warmer but felt sorry that she had taken his only form or warmth, "Are you sure you'll be ok without your blanket?" 

"Fine," he replied with a reassuring smile. 

Kat didn't believe him for one minute. She scooted across the sand and draped both blankets over them. Vash stiffened a bit, not used to sitting so close to someone.

He frowned. His arm was resting against Kat's coat and it felt really puffy. He wondered how thick it was since Kat didn't look overweight. 

She began to hum then whisper some tunes of a song she once heard, "… From somewhere out of nowhere drops upon the dreaming night. So… On the second celestial evening, all the children of the pebble join hands and-" Kat paused thinking that she had heard a second voice singing with her. 

Vash finished the line, "…composed a waltz."  His mood shifted a bit, "Where did you hear that song?" 

Kat caught a hint of anger in his voice and she cringed, "I-I don't remember. I think Meryl taught it to me…"

"Where did Meryl learn it from?" he asked.

"Our grandmother…" Kat wondered why he was so interested in the song. "She died before I was born though." 

"Do you remember what your grandmother's name was?" Vash asked. 

"It was something like Rim Savarem or no… it was Rem Saverem," Kat said, "And she wasn't really our grandmother, we just called her that. Rem was actually our great grandmother."  

An eerie silence drifted over them. 'She's related to Rem?!' Vash shifted to look at the person sitting next to him. It was true that she looked a bit like Rem. Kat's brown hair and golden eyes resembled her but was it true that she was related to Rem? 

Vash wanted to ask Kat more questions but hadn't noticed that she had drifted to sleep. Her head was resting on his shoulder and he just now noticed that Kat had one black and one white lock of hair framing the sides of her face. He studied her features and noticed that she had a double tear tattoo under her left eye. What unnerved him (other than the fact that she could be related to Rem) was that when sleeping, Kat appeared to be no more than ten years old. 

'Who is this girl?'

(**A/N: So dead… I'm so tired! Finals coming up soon too, if you don't haven em, be grateful damn it! **PLEASE REVIEW!!!)****


	4. Point Me in the Right Direction

Sorry I haven't updated in a while! Finals are coming up so I'm studying my ass off… I hope I pass! I really hate science. We're allowed to have one page of notes, one sided, and hand written. Damn science!

**PLEASE REVIEW!!!**

**_The Telltale Heart_**

**Chapter 4**

Ages:

Vash- 124

Kat- 8

"Kat, wake up," Vash said as he attempted to rouse her. 

"Five more minutes Nick," Kat muttered and rolled over. 

'Who's Nick?' "I don't have time for this!" Vash scooped Kat up and noted on how light she was. The girl whimpered as her shoulder was jostled. Vash tossed her a bit too roughly into the jeep and slid himself into the driver's seat. 

Kat could hear guns firing and she cracked an eye open, "Do you get shot at every five minutes or every other five?" A bullet grazed the jeep's right mirror and shattered it.  

"About every five," Vash replied as he concentrated on driving over the dunes. 

Kat peered over the side of the jeep to see bullets pounding into the sand, sending it showering down upon them, "Thought so. Why is everyone after you anyways?" 

Vash hissed as a bullet passed through his shoulder. 

Kat could hear a small crack and wondered if he had broken anything. Blood began to run down his back and Kat grimaced at the sight. She took off her jacket and applied pressure to the area he had been hit.

"Stay down!" Vash barked to her in fear of her life. 

Kat did as she was told and glanced in the left mirror to see who was shooting at them. Another jeep followed closely behind filled to the brim with men wielding guns. 

'I can't shoot and drive with a busted shoulder!' "Take this," Vash said and produced a shining silver hand gun. Kat stared at it a few moments. "What are you waiting for?! Shoot them!" Vash yelled. He wondered if he was going to have to give her instructions. 

"Fine!" Kat yelled and clicked off the safety. She aimed and fired. The first shot missed terribly as a result of her rattled nerves. Kat took a moment to collect herself then fired again. Her shot pierced the other men's tire and shredded it to pieces. 

"Where did you learn to shoot like that?" Vash asked her.

"Ok first I save you now you're chewing me out for it?!" Kat scolded him. She handed him the gun and Vash painfully placed it back in its holster. "How far is the next town?" 

"Five isles," he replied. 

Kat could see the top of a bulb peering over the dune their jeep was climbing.**Kat yawned. 'Maybe I'll finally be able to get some sleep.'**

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^_^

Their jeep sputtered out just as they entered the town. "I guess we'll have to go on foot," Kat said. 

Vash opened the door on his side and felt Kat wrap her arm around his waist, "What are you doing?" 

"Helping," Kat insisted.

"I'm hit in the shoulder not the leg."

Kat blushed and pulled away. Vash's eyes widened as his gaze landed on her. Kat noticed that he was staring at her and she squirmed a bit. Kat coughed and wondered what he found so fascinating about her. Kat noticed that Vash was beginning to sway on his feet, "Please don't feint! I don't think I can carry you all the way to the hospital!" 

"Y-you're just a kid," Vash stammered. 

Kat looked at him, "You didn't know?" 'Well I am tall for my age… What am I thinking?! Geesh! It looks as if he's about to keel over! He sure is pale…'

"You're jacket…"

"Yes, it's very large," Kat mumbled. "Are you sure you don't need help walking?" He muttered something about not needing help from little girls and Kat stuck out her tongue. "Come on, let's find a hospital."

"It's thee blocks away," Vash said. 

"And you would know this because?" 

"I've been there more times than I can count," he said and began to walk off leaving her behind.

'More times than he can count?! Why would that be?'

(**A/N: **Getting more interesting I hope? I still need help on an ending for UnBREAKable so please help! Did I mention finals suck? **PLEASE REVIEW!!!)**


	5. Vitals

Posting as many chapters as I can to make up for the long breaks in-between! Starting tomorrow, its final's week -_-^ I hate science! You want to know something really stupid? I had eight scratches from my cat yesterday, then I was working on my English project (part of our final, I'm doing tulips) and was working with the tape. The tape scratched me numerous times so not I have about eleven scratches… Sorry, my rambling comes from watching six family guy episodes in a row… o_- 

**PLEASE REVIEW!!!**

**_The Telltale Heart_**

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**Chapter 5**

Ages:

Vash- 124

Kat- 8

Kat sat in the hallway outside Vash's room sting on a bench that she had been perched on for the past three hours. Footsteps sounded in the hallway and Kat caught the attention of a passing nurse. "Is he going to be ok?" Kat asked.

"Your father will be fine," the nurse replied patting Kat's hand for reassurance.

"Uh… he's not-" Kat began.

"You can go see him now if you want but please keep quiet, he's still sleeping," with that said the nurse continued her way down the hall. 

Kat slipped off the bench she was sitting on and entered the room. Kat never liked hospitals. They always smelled strange to her, as if the place was trying too hard to cover up an unknown scent. When she first saw Vash, she gasped. His hair was down and untamed. Kat could tell that he wasn't wearing his usual red coat since it hung on a rack standing next to the bed. 

'He looks so… cute with his hair down!' Kat walked over to the side of his bed and started to lift the side of the sheet to inspect his wound. She jumped in shock when Vash's eyes shot open and his hand snatched the one lifting the sheet. "Don't," he pleaded as soon as he knew who was in the room. 

"Don't what?" Kat asked confused. He dropped her hand and rubbed his forehead. 

"Oh good you're awake," a nurse exclaimed as she walked into the room to check Vash's vitals. 

Kat stepped back slightly as the nurse asked Vash to sit up. The sheet began to slip and Vash made to grab it but it proved to be too late. The white sheet pooled around his torso, revealing hundreds of nasty looking scars. Kat gasped in shock, not expecting to see her hero this scared. The metal grate over his pectoral looked the most painful of all. Kat's eyes drifted and widened as they landed on his arm. 'That's why there was no blood! His arm is… metal.' 

The nurse finished what she was doing and insisted that Vash stay another night. Then she turned to Kat and said, "You are such a brave girl. Most ones your age usually faint at the sight of blood." 

Kat watched the nurse leave with a baffled expression painted across her face. When she was sure the nurse was gone, Kat looked for a place to sit. Finding none, she proceeded to climb onto the bed Vash occupied. 

'What is she doing?' Vash wondered as he watched her climb up. 

Kat pulled herself up and scooted next to him. She reached up a hand and gently touched the metal grate covering a good portion of his chest. Her hand drifted to the wound on his shoulder. "Another scar," she paused and rested her head against him, "I wish I could erase these scars for you…"

Vash stiffened at the contact, more uncomfortable with her being there than the pain she was causing his shoulder. She felt him stiffen but paid no attention. Vash shifted into a more comfortable position then pulled Kat closer. 

He was amazed that his scars didn't scar her away. She was loveable and sweet natured and that's why Vash began to think of her as his little sister. She was only the second person to make an impact on his life and he didn't want to let her go. There was just one problem, he had to. She was too young to live the life he did so he knew that he had to leave her behind. 

He began to absently stroke her soft brown hair, "Where did you come from?" 

Kat never did like telling others her past and it was no easier to do so now. She sighed, "I lived with the other kids in the orphanage Nicholas D. Wolfwood has, which is actually a church. Meryl, as I already told you, is my older sister. We're both orphans and she left me at the orphanage with Nicolas since she couldn't take me with her on her job." 

"What's your sister's job?" Vash asked.

"She's an insurance agent and her job requires her to travel. I was left with Nicolas since I couldn't be taken with my sister," Kat sniffed at the painful memories, "I haven't seen my sister in three years." 

"So how did you end up at the bar when I first met you?" Vash asked attempting to get her mind off the memory of her family. 

"I visit there regularly to get away from the other screaming children. The bartender and I are something close to friends and he lets me have drinks there on-the-house," she said.

"May I ask why you're so good at gunmanship?" Vash spoke the thing he had been wondering about ever since they had ditched the bounty hunters. 

"Nicolas isn't what you'd call your average priest. I learned my skills from him," Kat said deciding not to go into detail about it. 

"What kind of a churchman wields a gun?" Vash thought aloud. 

Kat shrugged. "You know I still know nothing about you," Kat hinted.  

"Lights out!" an elderly nurse yelled. "And I better not hear anyone talking or I'll jab your asses so full of sedative you'll be in a coma next three and a half weeks!"

Kat grumbled something like, 'old hag' as she clicked out the light for Vash. The room instantly plunged into darkness.  

"There isn't an extra bed for you is there?" Vash asked Kat. 

"All there is a lousy wooden bench," Kat's voice reached his ears telling him that she was still perched on his bed. "Would you mind sharing a bed?" 

It was a good thing the lights were off because Vash turned several shades of red. "Sure…" He could feel Kat burry herself in the sheets next to him. Before he knew it, she was asleep and snoring slightly. 

'If she wasn't breathing I'd swear she was dead…' Vash thought as he closed his eyes. 

(**A/N: **I hate finals. Be lucky if you aren't in high school! **PLEASE REVIEW!!!)**


	6. Love and Peace

Decided to post a cliffy just to piss you guys off… Did I just say that aloud? *coughs* This is what three hours of family guy does to you… @_@

Chapter 6

Ages:

Vash- 124

Kat 8

Kat shifted and turned as she attempted to find what ever it had been that kept her warm all night. Her hand groped the sheets beside her and Kat frowned slightly when she noticed what ever it had been was gone. She opened an eye in annoyance to find a pair of aquamarine orbs staring straight back at her. She squeaked in surprise and fell off the side of the bed. Kat closed her eyes and waited for the impact that never came. Strong hands gripped her and made sure that her head didn't hit the tile. Kat opened her eyes as she was set back on her feet. It was Vash who had once again saved her. 

'He's fast!' "Ah… My hero," Kat teased. Vash grinned and snatched his coat off the rack. "Where are we going?"

"The nurse said I could leave and besides, I owe you a new coat," Vash said as he gestured to the one Kat worn when she had first met him. It was coated in dried blood and Kat was grateful that she didn't have to put it on. 

"So we get to go shopping?" Kat asked as her eyes lit up. Vash nodded and Kat grinned as if she had just been given one hundred double dollars. 

^_^

"I like the new coat!" Kat said.

"It cost me seven hundred double dollars, she better like it," Vash grumbled to himself.

Kat ran her fingers over the strange fabric of the black trench coat and immediately loved it. The coat was about five sizes too big since it had originally been something Vash was looking to buy but it still looked pretty good on Kat's small figure. It was identical to Vash's new duster coat; it was identical to the old one he had been wearing which was shredded beyond repair. Both were happy with their new coats. 

Kat was also surprised to find that the coat she was wearing, despite its size and color, actually somehow kept her cooler than a thin shirt would have. 

One thing that was beginning to scare Kat was the fact that Vash seemed to be dragging her to every house he could find. She was beginning to wonder if he was trying to ditch her. 

They arrived at a large house located near the center of the town and Vash knocked on the door. It swung open almost instantly and Vash was greeted by a plump man who was in his early thirties. 

The man grinned and welcomed Vash in, "Long time no see partner! Please some this way."

Vash and Kat were lead into a large sitting room. Vash rested both hands on Kat's shoulders and introduced her, "Pete, this is Katsura. She likes to go by Kat."

"Nice to meet you," Pete said to Kat. She shook his hand and Vash asked Kat to go with one of the maids to help out in the kitchen. 

"I want to stay with you," Kat's voice said with a hint of fear.

Vash ruffled her hair and whispered, "I know you do but Pete's wife, Terry, needs your help in the kitchen."

The maid began to lead Kat away by her arm and it was one of the first times Kat had felt helpless since her parents had died. She knew something was up but what could it be?

^_^

Terry was a nice woman and, like Pete, was also in her early thirties. Kat instantly liked her and they chattered with each other for hours while the men talked over more serious matters in the next room over.

After finally coming to a decision, the men wandered into the kitchen to break the news to Kat and Terry. 

Kat was munching on doughnuts and offered one to Vash as he walked in, "Nothing better than a freshly baked doughnut!" 

Vash declined the offer; he never really cared much for doughnuts.  

Pete talked to his wife while Vash spoke to Kat, "I know Terry, but haven't you wanted a child? Besides, I owe it to this man for saving my life. If it wasn't for him I wouldn't be here with you and I certainly wouldn't be mayor of this town!"

Vash put his hands on Kat's shoulders again and broke the news to her as best as he could, "Kat, you can't come with me on my journey. I've got too many people after my head. Pete's agreed to take you and raise you as his daughter until I can come back for you." 

Tears began to flow down Kat's cheeks, "You can't leave! You're my hero!" Kat's voice began to sound pleading and it took on the tone of a child's. For once, Kat sounded her age, "Don't leave me!" 

Vash kissed her on the cheek and headed for the door. Kat ran after him out onto the streets, "WAIT!" 

Vash paused and Kat caught up to him. "Take this," she handed him a locket. He opened it and it held a picture of Kat and her family. "This locket is my most precious item," she explained, "I expect to have it returned to me someday." 

Smiled, "Can do miss." He proceeded to put it around his neck. The gold chain glittered in the setting sun and the three blue stones on the cover sparkled. 

Kat threw her arms around his waist and buried her face in his stomach, "I love you." 

Vash's heart melted, "Love you too squirt."

"I'm not a squirt," Kat mumbled. She let go and Vash turned to leave once again. "One more thing…" Kat said. Vash lifted an eyebrow, "Love and peace!" 

He laughed and mirrored her movements, "Love and peace!"

(**A/N: **Like you didn't see that coming… You know in the manga Vash doesn't have a bounty on his head? Just randomness… **PLEASE REVIEW!!!) **


	7. Green Thumb

DAMN FINALS!!! Had math (yahoo! *is smartest in the stupidest class*) and science (DAMN BIO!). Today was also a short day so this explains why I'm home so early. No school Friday or Monday! Anyways, I haven't finished writing this story yet since I'm unhappy with the ending, but I promise to finish it as soon as I can! 

**PLEASE REVIEW!!!**

**_The Telltale Heart_**

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**Chapter 7**

_*five years later* _

Ages:

Vash- 129 

Kat- 13

'It's the fifth year anniversary of him leaving me behind…' Kat thought to herself as she wandered the city streets. 'I wonder if he'll ever come back for me.' 

"I have the flier you're looking for Kat," the sheriff said as he saw the girl pass by, "I must warn you about this one though. No one can have a sixty billion double dollar bounty for doing squat." 

"Mark, you don't need to remind me," Kat said getting tired of people warning her about safety.

"Pete would be angry if I didn't," the sheriff replied, "We wouldn't want to see the mayor's daughter killed now would we?" 

Kat laughed, "Thanks again for the flier! See you Mark!" Kat waved to him and continued on her way. 

She read the flier to herself, "Emergency… blah… blah… sixty billion bounty… I've heard it all before!" She shredded the wanted poster and let the pieces float out of her fingers on the rare breeze that drifted through town that day. Kat looked up surprised to find herself at the plant facility. 'I haven't visited the plants in a while… I guess it wouldn't hurt to check it out. I'm the mayor's daughter; they don't call me 'the key to the city' for nothing! I can get into anyplace in the city since everyone knows who I am.' 

She paused at the entrance to the plant and told the guards who she was and what she was doing there. They let her pass and Kat took the stairway to her right that lead to the giant bulbs. 

She had loved the massive bulbs ever since she was a child. There was just something about them that she found fascinating. When ever Kat felt lonely or sad she would come up to just be near the bulbs. 

'I should probably be hunting for Vash.' Kat told herself. 'I can't believe he's in our town! What would he be doing here?' 

Kat came out of the stair well to see someone already there with the bulbs. Feeling as if her space had been intruded she pulled out the gun at her hip and barked, "Who are you and what's your business being here?" The person turned to face her and her gun slipped through her fingers. It clattered to the floor and the barrel opened to scatter her bullets across the floor. 

The man was officially freaked out by now. He had been scared shitless having a gun drawn on him and now the woman in front of him was starting to cry. 

Kat ran up to him and threw her arms around his neck, she was taller and was surprised that he seemed to be shorter than the last time she had met him. It wasn't that he was shorter; it was that she had grown and he had remained the same. 

"Welcome back mystery man. Or should I say my hero? I never did catch your name…" Kat whispered. 

Vash pried the woman off him to look at her face his expression changed from confused to recognition, "Katsura? My little squirt?"

"I'm not a squirt," Kat muttered. 

"Well you certainly aren't anymore!" Vash smiled. 

Kat looked him over, "You haven't changed a bit! You're still almost the exact same as I remember!" Kat fingered the black parts of his hair. 'I don't remember this.' "What were you doing here anyways?"

Vash lead her over to a small patch next to the bulb where they could sit, "I always loved the bulbs. I suppose you like them just as much as I do?" Kat nodded. "How have you been doing?"

"Fine I guess. Pete's been really nice to me and so has Terri. Nicolas knows that I live with them since I insisted that I be able to write to him," Kat replied.

"Why were you carrying a gun?" Vash asked as he watched Kat collect her gun and bullets.

"I'm a bounty hunter," she caught the look Vash pulled. "I usually only hunt the small fry that pass through town but I heard a rumor that Vash the Stampede was passing through so I'm currently looking for him. Would you mind helping me look for this guy?"

Vash continued to stare at her strangely. Kat ignored the look and continued to rattle off, "Why did it take you so long to come back?" 

 Vash's mood shifted, "I couldn't bear the thought of coming back. I thought that next time I saw you I wouldn't be able to resist your pleas not to leave you behind. You have to understand though that I couldn't have taken you with me. I couldn't risk having you killed." 

"I understand but it would have been nice to see you earlier. You have no idea how much I've missed you…" Kat hugged him again and closed her eyes taking in his scent. He still smelled like sand and alcohol. Kat could feel a wave of happiness pulse over her and she opened her eyes to see a large pink being with yellow eyes staring at them. Her grip on Vash tightened in fear and she looked up so see Vash staring intently at the being in the bulb. 

Vash seemed to nod then introduced the being, "This is my sister. To you she's known as 'the beings who exist out of time' but among us we're known as plants. She, as well as every other plant is my sister. There is also Knives and, like me, we are the only male plants. We are also the only plants who live outside of the bulb. That pulse of happiness you felt came from my sister, she thinks we're a couple."

"Who are you?" Kat asked the man sitting next to her. 

Vash ignored her question. He placed his forehead and palms against the glass and the angel inside mirrored his movements. "Can I speak with her the way you can?" Kat asked him.

"You're already speaking to her through your emotions. Everything you feel she can also feel," Vash replied. 

Kat didn't care much for the answer she was given so she copied Vash and rested her head and palms against the glass. Kat could immediately feel some sort of connection link between her and the angel. 

'**_I'm happy for you two,' _**the angel spoke to Kat.

**_'What do you mean?' _**Kat asked**_, 'I'm not marring him.'_**

****

**_'But you love him,' _**the angel stated. 

"Kat!" Vash growled as he pulled her from the glass of the bulb. A wave of concern and confusion came from Vash's sister as she wanted to know why the connection was cut short. "How are you able to talk to my sisters if you're not one of us?!"

"I-I don't know!" Kat whimpered as Vash handled her a bit roughly.

"We're going back to Pete's house!" Vash growled. 

"Why?!" Kat asked bewildered. The angel they had been talking to earlier stared after them sending out waves of confusion. 

"Why are you after Vash?" he asked her. 

"I'm a bounty hunter!" Kat replied.

"Bull shit! There's another reason you're after him isn't there?" Vash snarled. 

"Yes there is…" Kat whispered.   

"Then what is it? Why are you after him?" Vash asked.

"He killed my parents," Kat whispered. 

"What?" Vash asked he let go of her arm in surprise.

"When July was destroyed… I was just a baby. My parents were killed," Kat explained in a small voice.

Waves of anger came from the female plant. She was angry that Vash had made Kat, the only person who visited her, sad. 

"I hate Vash the Stampede…" Kat growled, "And it will be I who kill him!"

(**A/N: **Hehe… *runs away* Um, off to study? *ducks behind desk* I'll have the next chapter up as soon as I can! **PLEASE REVIEW!!!)**


	8. Silver Lockets, Roses and Imposters

Short chapter so I'm going to post two today! Finals are over! WHOOO!!! No school tomorrow!

**PLEASE REVIEW!!!**

**_The Telltale Heart_**

**Chapter 8**

Ages: 

Vash- 129

Kat- 13

"I hate Vash the Stampede…" Kat growled, "And it will be I who kill him!"

As soon as Kat spoke shouts could be heard. "It's Vash the Stampede! Run for your lives!" 

Kat bolted as soon as she heard the first shout. Her steps thundered and echoed off the walls as she descended the stairs and raced out to the street. The real Vash was right on her heels. She skidded to a stop and ended up face to face with a tall, well muscled man wielding a massive machine gun. Kat shoved the barrel of her gun against the man's forehead, "You're Vash the Stampede?" 

The man grinned despite being the one at gun point, "Yes I am Miss. What business do you have with me?" 

"I'm here to have you're head!" Kat yelled and was about to shoot when she was literally knocked off her feet. Bullets pierced the air where she had been moments before. She looked to see who had rescued her and saw that it was her hero that had once again saved her. She wanted to thank him but Vash picked her up and dove behind the nearest wall. 

"Stay here," he commanded. 

Kat noticed he was looking around for something and she handed him a trash can lid, "Best thing to use besides a shield." Vash grabbed it and she watched as he walked out to the middle of the street.

"What do you want?" the fake Vash barked, "I'm Vash the Stampede! The ruthless marksman out to kill who ever comes in my way." 

"You're Vash huh?" the real Vash growled.

"That's right!" the well muscled man replied. 

"You can't be Vash," Vash insisted with a wild grin splayed across his face. 

"Why not?" the other man asked. His voice began to become unsteady. 

"Because there's only one Vash the Stampede," Vash sneered.

"I know that you fool! I'm Vash the Stampede!" the man yelled.

"Are you?" Vash teased, "Then you wouldn't mind joining me in a shoot out?" 

The imposter's goons had long since split in fear that the man opposing their master was the real Vash. The fake Vash, noticing that he was left all alone, became nervous, "I don't need to prove myself to you!" 

"I thought you said you were Vash the Stampede. The real Vash never backs down from a challenge," Vash smiled to himself. 

Kat watched interested and hoping that her hero would come away from the fight unscathed. 

"Perhaps you're not the real Vash the Stampede?" Vash fired and his shot knocked the other man's gun from his hand. 

The imposter took off running but Mark, the sheriff, caught him before he could go much further. 

Vash laughed to himself and put his gun back into its holster. He discarded the trashcan lid, "Good thing he bought that. I doubt that this thing would have done me any good." 

Kat rolled her eyes and Vash smiled. "Pete! What are you doing here?" Kat asked as she saw her step-father come running up to them. 

"Heard that there was a fight taking place and that you were in it! So I got here as fast as I could. Are you ok?" Pete asked Kat.

"Fine," Kat replied, "Seems as if he's saved me again!"

"Who, you mean Vash?" Pete asked gesturing to him.

Kat's happy expression changed to confusion, "What?"  

"Stop playing Kat, surely you've figured out by now that this is the real Vash the Stampede?" Pete asked. 

Kat's eyes widened as she made the connection. 'My hero is… Vash…? The one who killed my parents?' She blacked out.

(**A/N: **Oooh…. Spooky… Hehe. Working on posting the next chapter! It should be up today! Guess what? I got 147 out of 157 on my science final! DAMN! If I had had my binder with me, I would have been able to hand in extra credit then I would have gotten 100% Gurrr… **PLEASE REVIEW!!!)**


	9. The Queen of Hearts is Always Your Best ...

*Falls over dead* X_X You guys owe me for this one! This chappie is over seven pages long! Therefore… It must be either my signature cliffy or a major chapter in the plot… or maybe both… BUWHAHA! 

**PLEASE REVIEW!!!**

**_The Telltale Heart_**

**Chapter 9**

Ages:

Vash- 129

Kat- 13

(**A/N: **These notes are from my biology class… very long…)

'Protein has a role in virtually every activity of every organism. Organisms make up their proteins by protein synthesis. Genes code for the sequence of amino acids that make up proteins. In other words, DNA is the template for making proteins. Regulatory genes code for proteins that regulate the expression of other genes. A gene is expressed when the protein codes for is synthesized. DNA works with another nucleic acid called ribonucleic acid (RNA). The differences between DNA and RNA are that RNA is single-stranded instead of double stranded contains the sugar ribose instead of deoxyribose, and contains the base uracil instead of thymine.

There are three types of RNA: messenger RNA (mRNA), transfer RNA (tRNA), and ribosomal RNA (rRNA). The first stage of protein syntheses, transcription, is when the genetic information from a strand of DNA is copied to make a strand of mRNA. The second stage of protein syntheses, translation, is when the base sequences that were copied in transcription are translated into proteins. DNA is coiled and wound in chromosomes. Inactive DNA is loosely coiled. The tightening and loosening of DNA coils is one way of controlling gene expression.

Transcription begins when the DNA coils loosen. The enzyme RNA polymerase separates the two strands of the DNA double helix, exposing the base pairs of a gene. The enzyme then matches RNA bases with the complementary bases on one strand of DNA. RNA matches uracil with adenine since it doesn't have thymine. In this way the exact code is copied, or transcribed, from DNA to mRNA. In prokaryotes, the mRNA travels directly to the ribosomes since they have no nucleus. Transcription and translation can occur simultaneously, so the proteins are produced very quickly. This is why bacteria multiply so rapidly. In eukaryotic cells, the mRNA must go through RNA splicing before it reaches a ribosome. DNA introns and exons are both transcribed into mRNA. An enzyme in the nucleus removes the introns and joins the exons to one another. After the mRNA has been spliced and rejoined, it… it…. ' Kat nibbled on the end of her pen in deep concentration. 'I hate science…' 

Another wave of sympathy and concern came from the angel that hovered over Kat's shoulder. Kat turned to look at the angel, "That's really annoying you know…" Kat had attempted to speak to the angel when she first arrived but it proved too hard for her to concentrate on one thing. Footsteps sounded on the stairs and without looking Kat could tell who it was. "Leave me alone… _Vash_," Kat emphasized his name. 

"My name should make no difference on who you know me as," he pointed out as he approached. 

Kat could feel him sit next to her and the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. "It makes all the difference," Kat said trying to keep the tears at bay. She fiddled with her black trench coat that Vash had given her when they first met. 

"Why would my name make any difference?"   

Kat shifted to glare at him. Hatred blazed in her eyes, "It was _Vash the Stampede_ who killed my parents."

"I've never killed anyone," Vash snarled angrily.

"So says the man with a sixty billion bounty…" Kat growled unfazed by his tone. Then just barely above a whisper, "I hate you."  

Vash grabbed Kat by the shoulders and jerked her head so she had to look into his eyes. He removed his orange glasses and slowly stated, "_I did **not kill your parents." **_

Kat's gaze lingered a moment longer than necessary before she shoved him away, "You're still guilty. After all, there's no way that a man like you could have a bounty **that **large for doing nothing."

The silence was deafening. Even the angel was becoming a bit wary of the two. She decided to leave them alone and disappeared as she moved off farther into the bulb. 

"Your parents, your real ones the Okamimure's, were not entirely my fault. You remember seeing all my scars right? Someone once told me that no one has the right to take the life of another, that the ticket to the future is always blank. My scars came from living up to what Rem told me, I've never killed anyone in my life."

"Them explain to me how my parents were killed," Kat hissed. A wave of warning pulsed from another bulb along the line of the five in their chamber. "It can't be that complicated." 

"You remember how one of my arms wasn't exactly normal?" Vash asked as he shifted it to show the concealed gun, "Well my other arm isn't much better." 

Vash drew his silver gun from its holster and Kat watched as the screws to the top portion became loose. The casing popped off and a ball of energy grew around a hovering ebony cylinder in the center of the gun. Kat backed up from fear as Vash's arm began to grow in size and shape. The normal sleeve of his coat split open to show that his arm had formed blue and silver scales. 

The other angels that had been watching retreated to the safety of the back of their bulbs. 

Vash's arm split down the center and a glowing sphere began to form in the opening. He had his eyes closed and Kat couldn't tell if it was from pain or concentration. The air in the room began to stir and Vash's cannon burst into its full form in a swirl of feathers and light. 

"This is why they call me Vash the Stampede," he ground out from clenched teeth. "My angel arm has the power to destroy this planet ten times over. I'm sure you've heard of the destruction of July. It was when Knives, my brother, first showed me the power of my arm," his voice began to even out as the massive gun decreased in size, no longer of use. "Your parents were caught in the debris and suffered injuries. They later died of their wounds. But still… I didn't kill them." 'Although it still feels as if it was my fault.'

With everything he had wanted to say said, Vash left the chamber leaving a confused and bewildered Kat in his wake. 

Something shiny caught Kat's eye. She turned to see a small thin box wrapped in gold colored paper. Curious, Kat decided to open it. She carefully untied the crimson ribbon adorning the lid and slipped the cover off. She gasped.

A red rose and a silver locket identical to the one she had given Vash lain inside. The only differences Kat could see were that the three stones in the center were emeralds, not sapphires like what hers had been. She clicked the locket open to find a comical picture of Vash doing her 'Love and peace pose.' 

'But where did he get the rose? Roses don't grow on Gunsmoke…' Her fingertips slid over the bottom of the box as she switched hands and Kat noticed that there was a note attached. It read:

_Dear Kat,_

_            I have been meaning to tell you for a while now that I'm not who you think I am…_

Her tears smeared the ink so that it was no longer legible. The only parts of the letter she could still make out were the first sentence and his signature at the bottom. 'He thinks I hate him…'

^_^

Her new locket shone brightly against the black leather of her duster coat. Kat ran through the streets of town looking for her hero so she could apologize. A speck of red shone around the next corner Kat was coming to and she called out to gain his attention, "Va-!" 

"Kat!" someone cut her off.

She ran around the corner to come face to face with Hank, the guy who had always had a crush on her. Kat's frustration doubled and she could see Vash's figure over Hank's large form. Kat was about five foot two and Hank was around five nine. 'How tall is Vash? He has to be around seven feet. Are all plants this tall?' 

"Kat I have something to ask you," Hank grabbed her hand as Kat tried to get away.

"I'm kind of busy Hank," Kat hinted.

"I know but there's something I've been wanting to tell you," Hank loosened his grip on her wrist and moved it to her hand. 

'SHIT!' Kat thought when she realized what Hank was doing.

He kneeled on one knee and drew a ring from his pocket. 

Kat saw Vash turn to go, "Stop!" Her voice cracked and tears began to threaten to spill over again.

"Will you marry me?" Hank asked oblivious to the fact that Kat's attention was elsewhere. 

Vash's lip curled in disgust and he vanished down the alley. 

Hank, by now, had noticed that Kat wasn't paying any attention to him. He called to her but nothing Hank did could tear Kat away from her daze. 

"I have to go, I'm sorry Hank," Kat excused herself. 

Hank watched her go with a puzzled look until she was out of sight. He snapped the lid shut on the box the ring was in and sneered. 'She was too good for that guy. I wouldn't be surprised if one day she came and thanked me! Wish I had a picture of the expression on his face!' 

^_^

"He left didn't he?" Terry asked as Kat passed the kitchen on the way to her room. 

"What are you? Psychic?" Kat growled. 

"I won't ask what happened. Go after him! Before you loose him for good…" Terry said with a thoughtful look in her eyes. 

'I can't let Vash get away!' Kat thought. "I will go after him," she told Terry. 'But what will I say when I get there?

Kat packed a few things she thought she would need and walked down the hall. She passed the living room and poked her head in to see if she could spot her cat. A meow sounded in the room and Kat smiled as her black green-eyed cat came out from under the couch. 

"Kuroneko, I'm going to find Vash. You remember him don't you?" The black cat purred. "Thought so. I'm guessing you want to come with me too?" The cat meowed and rubbed on Kat's leg. "Then do me a favor and stalk him for as long as you can," Kat joked as she scratched the cat's large ears. 

^_^

'I hate heat. I hate dust. I hate this planet…' Kat repeated in her head for the thousandth time. 

The Thomas she was riding on snorted as it inhaled too much sand. 

Kat could feel its sides heave with each cough. "Don't kill yourself," Kat teased. She shielded her eyes from the blazing sun and looked to the horizon. A smile tugged at the corners of her lips. 

A red spec could be seen off in the distance and Kat knew in her heart that it had to be Vash. She urged her Thomas to go faster and cursed it for being so slow. Kat took another swig from her canteen and noticed that it was half empty. 'I wish I had been smart enough to bring more water…' 

Her thoughts were interrupted by low drone of a car's motor. It spooked her Thomas and the animal began to pick up speed. The louder the engine got the faster the Thomas ran. Soon shouts of catcalls could be heard from the car. Fear and detest began to rise inside of Kat. She yelled at her Thomas and this proved somewhat helpful since it scared the animal into a full out sprint. Vash's form grew larger and Kat could begin to make out details on him as the jeep grew closer. 

Something curled around Kat's waist and pulled her with such force off her Thomas that she yelped in pain. The next thing Kat was aware of was that she had passed her still sprinting Thomas. Kat managed to swallow some of her fear and looked to see what had grabbed her.  

"Well Rich looks as if we have a live one!" the man who had grabbed Kat exclaimed. He scooted over and pulled Kat over the side of the jeep. "She's young too!"

"How young Dick?" The driver asked.

"Only about fifteen or so," Dick replied, "Just the way I like them!" Kat caught the scent of alcohol on his breath. And she leaned away. "What? Is there something wrong with my breath?" he smirked and wrapped an arm around Kat. She squirmed to get away and the man laughed. 

A piercing scream omitted from Kat when she felt Dick's hand rub her rear. Tears welled up in her eyes as she began to imagine her fate. 'I forgot my gun…' Kat closed her eyes when she felt the sharp edge of a knife press against her throat. 

"Enough squirming or my knife might slip," Dick whispered in her ear. His hands began to wander again and hot tears spilled over leaving warm trails down her cheeks. 

Something made the jeep lurch and a loud explosion could be heard. Kat's throat began to burn and she could feel warm liquid seep down her neck. Coughs began to rack her body and her eyes shot open. 

"Damn!" Dick exclaimed when he saw that his knife had punctured her throat. "The first girl stupid enough to wander out alone in ages and here she is with her throat slit open for the world to see! Rich, what the hell did you do to our car?" 

"I didn't do anything!" Rich yelled. "Something popped our tires!"

Kat's coughs began to increase and it began to irritate the two men, "Shut the fuck up bitch!" Dick kicked Kat in the ribs and a crunch of bones splintering was heard. 

"Aw, come on Dick! You don't have to hurt you're whore anymore than she already is!" Rich scolded. 

Kat began to couch up blood as her wounds leaked more of the precious liquid. 

"BASTARDS!" a familiar voice roared. Kat cracked an eye open through the pain to see Vash holding the men at gun point. "What did you do to her?" he asked while attempting to keep himself calm. His voice was filled with rage and Kat could tell that if the men did anything to anger him they probably wouldn't be around much longer. His eyes were concealed behind his orange glasses and the rays of the sun glinted off them making it appear as if his eyes were blazing fireballs. 

"We were just having a bit of fun. Not like someone you, Vash the Stampede, would care for this wen-" Dick was cut off by a bullet to his leg.

Vash's teeth appeared to be fangs lasing out at the two men as he roared, "Next shot's going straight to YOUR brain!"

The men began to cower in fear. Vash's arm lifted higher to aim for their heads planning to pump them full of lead. 

"N-no one has the r-right to take the life of a-another," Kat wheezed. 

Vash paused a moment before recomposing himself, "Hear that you miserable scum? Even after everything you've done to her she still wants to spare your pathetic worthless lives." One blow to the head knocked both men unconscious. Vash switched his attention back to Kat. "Shit," he hissed under his breath when he first caught sight of her. Kat squeezed her eyes shut and continued panting as her breath became shorter and shorter.

"I have to move you," Vash told her, "It's going to hurt." 

Kat opened her eyes once more to capture a glimpse of her hero before blacking out from loss of blood. 

Vash gently picked her up. He began to start the five isle trip to his brother's secret Eden, a still intact SEEDS ship, the only other one to survive the fall.  

'I hope I can make it there in time...'

(**A/N: **I hope you liked it! This is one of the longer chapters I've written too… **PLEASE REVIEW!!!)**


	10. Faux Hope

Whooo! *Feels a bit woozy* I've been reading Samurai Deeper Kyo Mangas for the past four hours now and my head feels fuzzy… Kendo gave me a huge blood blister on my foot (1/2 X 1 inch) and I got my hepatitis-A shot yesterday so now I'm really sore and tired… *yawns*

**PLEASE REVIEW!!!**

**_The Telltale Heart_**

****

****

**Chapter 10**

Ages:

Vash- 129

Kat- 13

(**A/N: **Wolfwood talking/ thinking)

*the sceries is beginning…*

'She's been missing for weeks; no one has seen or heard of her. There's only one reason she could be gone so long and I hate to think about it but everyone needs to face it that she's probably dead. The only way I can raise money for my orphanage is to hunt the man who killed her. Kat was last seen with Vash the Stampede so I doubt there's any hope she's still alive and well. As much as I hate murder, I must take my revenge…' Nicolas thought to himself. "_Knives, I will take your job of hunting down Vash the Stampede_."

^_^

'My sister's been gone for a long time.' Meryl thought to herself as she stared out the window. 

"Meryl!" her partner, a tall girl named Milly, called. "We've got reassigned to track down Vash the Stampede!" 

"What?" Meryl asked as she was startled from her daydreaming.

"We've been assigned to follow Vash and make sure he stops destroying towns. We leave right away!" Milly said as she packed her things.

'I guess it would make sense that we're assigned to the most dangerous man alive. We're the newest members of this company and therefore we mean almost nothing to it… We're also the lowest paid…' "Did you say we leave today?!" Meryl yelped as the thought finally hit her. 

"That's right!" Milly laughed and tossed her friend the suitcase she had packed for her. 

'Well at least this will give me a chance to look for my sister…'   

^_^

Vash arrived at Knives' small Eden panting and sweating. He leaned forward and shifted Kat so he could free a hand. Vash slipped the leather glove off one hand with his teeth and pressed it on a pad. The pad glowed blue as it read his DNA. A green light blinked and a concealed door slid open for him to enter. 

Vash took the staircase to his right, not even stopping to admire the small paradise. He passed Knives and the angry screams fell on deaf ears. 'I have to get Kat to our sisters…' 

Vash reached the first floor of bulbs and stumbled over a raised piece of the floor. He managed to reach the first bulb without dropping Kat. He hurriedly placed a hand on the massive bulb and called to his sister. She felt the distress of her bother and appeared almost instantly. **_'I need you to heal her as quickly as you can!'_**

****

**_'She's hurt badly,' _**his sister commented**_, 'I don't know if there's anything I can do for her… she's not an angel?' _**

****

**_'No she's not.'_**

****

Vash's sister considered this, shocked**_, 'I can tell you have a strong attachment to her. I will try my best to heal her but are you ready for the consequences?' _**

****

**_'Do whatever it takes,' _**Vash replied as he passed Kat to his sister. Her form melted through the bulb and Vash could see his sister hold Kat's limp form. The angel's piercing yellow eyes studied Kat for a few moments before disappearing deeper into the bulb.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE _YOU _DOING?! AND DID YOU JUST BRING A **SPIDER **IN HERE?!" Knives roared.

"Not only did he do that Master, but Vash the Stampede also gave her to a sister to be healed," a strange blue haired man appeared.

"Legato…" Vash growled.

"HE WHAT?!" Knives bellowed.

 **_'It hurts…' _came a small whisper from inside the bulb.**

**_'Then perhaps you shouldn't speak,' _**Vash chided when he recognized it was Kat's voice. 

****

_'**Vash… I never liked Hank…' **_her voice faded.

**_'Kat?'_****Vash asked even though he knew that she couldn't answer. **

"What are you doing here?" Knives asked as he attempted to suppress his rage. Legato smirked as he watched the scene play out.

"Well, I'll be leaving now. Take care of her will ya?" Vash waved to his brother. 

"I'll kill her," Knives threatened.

"You won't," Vash said with an edge to his voice. This surprised Knives.

"What makes you think I won't? As soon as you're gone, she's as good as dead."

"She's already as good as dead…" 

Knives arched an eyebrow, "What?"

"A few bandits slit her throat and attempted to rape her," Vash said. 

"Hum," Knives said as he acquired the new information. Vash watched his brother confused. "Don't spiders usually die if their throats are damaged?" 

"Yes..." 

"And she's still alive?" Knives asked allowed. 'She is strong.' Vash couldn't tell where their 'conversation' was going and it kept him on edge. "You can leave her here until she recovers."

"What?" Vash questioned. Then once he had registered what his brother had proposed, "Can I trust you not to harm her?"

"If I had intended to harm her, she'd already be dead."

'I may play the fool, but what better way to manipulate the kings?' "I should be going," Vash said.

"Why? You've traveled this far just to piss me off then leave? You were on a roll too…" Knives stabbed at what little humor he had. (**A/N: No pun intended.)**

"I may have lead someone here," Vash gave an excuse. 

"Bullshit. This is the hardest place to get to on all of Gunsmoke," Knives snapped. 

"Then perhaps my presence makes him uneasy?" Legato asked.

"_But then again, perhaps there is another reason?" _Knives taunted. 

"I'm leaving," Vash quipped before the two oddballs could say anything else. "If you so much as touch her," Vash gestured to the bulb Kat was in. "I'll kill you," his voice was filled with warning and hatred.

"I wouldn't dream of doing such a thing," Knives spat in disgust. 

"Good," Vash said as he departed. 

(**A/N: **What's this? Knives has a heart? Or is there something else he sees in her…? **PLEASE REVIEW!!!)**


	11. Frozen, Drunk and All Alone

I know! I know! This story's chapters are shorter than most of my other stories but bear with me! There are only two chapters left I've typed so I've got to get busy on that too…

**_FAN ART_**- If you guys feel inspired to draw a scenes from my stories, then send me some of your art in an email! I'll create a new part of my site just for your art! 

**PLEASE REVIEW!!!**

**_The Telltale Heart_**

**Chapter 11**

(**A/N: **Wolfwood just met Vash so he doesn't yet know who he is. This takes place somewhere in the sceries near the ending. I'm making this so Vash turns 131, during the sceries instead of entering it at that age.)

Ages:

Vash- 130 

Kat- 15

'It's been another lonely year without her.' Vash thought as he sipped his beer. 'Lots has happened though. I've met the insurance girls for one. What were their names again…?' The alcohol was beginning to kick in and Vash's thoughts were becoming fuzzy. It was a wonder he hadn't passed out, the blonde had drunk over five gallons of the bitter liquid. 

"You doing ok partner?" Wolfwood, the unordinary priest, asked.

 "Fine," was the short answer.

"Freaked out, Insecure, Neurotic or Elated?"  Wolfwood guessed.

"Yep."

"You only going to give one word answers?"

"Yep."

"You the real Vash the Stampede?"

"Maybe."

'Almost had him there!' "You extremely drunk?"

"Nope."

"Are you listening to what I'm saying?"

"Nope."

Nicolas rolled his eyes and extinguished his cigarette. "So, everyone knows that a man only drinks this much when he wants to escape." Vash remained silent. "Was it a girl perhaps?" Wolfwood took his silence as a yes, "Want to tell me what happened?"

"I'm not that drunk," Vash said as he stood to leave.

"That bad huh? Well I'll share a secret if you do," Wolfwood proposed.

"My past is my secret and I have no desire to share it with anyone," Vash told him off.

"I'll tell you my story anyways," Wolfwood offered. He watched as Vash sank back down in his chair. Nicolas also noticed that he didn't touch his drink anymore. 

"Well," Wolfwood started, "I met up with the wrong person trying to save my orphanage. I had heard a rumor going around that you had killed one of my orphans but I can see now that you'd never do that. You see, I was hired not to kill you but make you miserable; of course, when I entered the job I had every intention of killing you. But then when I got to meet you, well, you can see how that went…" 

"Who hired you?" Vash asked now fully alert.

"A platinum blonde bastard going by the name of Knives. He has a strange friend that licks his hand with blue hair, very creepy bunch. I regret taking the job to serve him…" Wolfwood paused, "Why, do you know him?" He turned his gaze to the chair to see a black cat drinking Vash's beer. "Now I know I must be going crazy…"

"Nya?!" 

^_^

"Vash!" Meryl called him over as she saw him pass by. 

He instantly masked his expression, "Yes Meryl?" 

"I have something to ask you." Vash waited for her to speak. "Do you know anything about Katsura?" He stiffened and Meryl caught the movement, "You do don't you? What happened to my sister?" 

"I haven't seen her in years," Vash commented not willing to say anything else.

"I heard a rumor that you knew what happened to her. I took the job to track you so I could also look for her," Meryl explained.

Vash turned to leave but Meryl stopped him, "Please tell me."

"Like I said… I haven't seen her in years," was all Vash could say. 'I hope she's still alive. I'll check on her as soon as I can.' 

(**A/N: **So the sceries ending takes place between here and the next chapter… This is a super short chapter so I'm posting another one today. Remember to send me your art! **PLEASE REVIEW!!!)**


	12. The Best Part of Waking Up

Longer chapter than normal! I rewrote the whole thing just to get it right too. I'm sorry if Knives is a bit OOC (out of character) but he's really hard to do! Well, enjoy! ^-^

**PLEASE REVIEW!!!**

**_The Telltale Heart_**

**Chapter 12**

(**A/N: **This takes place now after the sceries. Changes to the original story line- I'm having Knives recover from his wounds at the secret Eden. Vash never returned to Meryl or Milly but he has sent word of his safety.)

Ages:

Vash- 131

Kat-16

 **_'I feel…'_**

****

"How's she doing?" Vash asked Knives.

"Still recovering," he replied with his head pointed upward to gaze at the bulb. An eerie soft blue light coated the room and made the tips of the brother's hair blue. "You can speak to our sister about it if you want."

Vash turned to go as he stepped out of the room, the blue tint disappeared. "No thanks, I'll be out in the recreation room."

Knives nodded slightly in return to show he was listening. He turned his attention back to his sister**_, 'How's the bitch spider doing?' _**

Silence was his only answer. He shifted his weight and lifted an expecting brow. His arms were folded across his chest in a sign of slight irritation. His icy blue eyes shone in the dimly lit room. 

**_'Sister, I asked how your _**leach**_ was doing,' _Knives growled.**

Still no answer from the angel.

Knives let out a small irritated noise and used his telepathy to search the bulb. All he felt was his sister. 

**_'She's fine brother. Excuse me for my rudeness but I'm preparing to release her.' _**Shuffling sounds began to come from within the bulb. As the sound became louder, it became wet and disturbing.**_ 'I'm not very skilled in human antimony. She's been cured but I warn you about the side affects...' _**

Knives glared at the bulb, his eyes becoming colder as if about to drop to sub zero temperatures.

Then, almost as an afterthought, the angel added.**_ 'I advise you not to touch her…'   _**

A large figure emerged from the bulb, covered in pink membrane. It fell to the floor with a disgusting wet thump and remained still. Membrane dripped from parts of the bulb and slid down the glass. A small pool of pink tinted slime began to collect around the figure and Knives began to wonder if the spider was dead after all. He sent probes to awaken her mind. He felt it stir then his connection dropped. 

The film sack split open and Knives watched as Kat gasped in her first breath of air. She began to cough and spit up membrane. When her small fit was done she attempted to stand on limbs not used in years. Her hair unraveled, having come loose from the rest of the film Kat was covered in and dropped to the ground with a sticky, Velcro-like sound. It pooled to the ground resting in the mucus she had emerged from. She swayed on her unsteady legs, shaking, and coughed again. **_'Thank you sister.' _**

**_'You're welcome our half sister... I must now hibernate. You took a lot of energy to revive.'_**

****

"_You_ can speak to _plants?" Knives hissed. _

Kat ignored him, or at least it appeared that way, her ears were clogged with mucus and her attention was focused on standing.  When Kat thought she could stand without concentration on it too much she checked herself over and noticed… that she was stark naked. 

"Why the hell my brother insists on saving shit like _this is beyond me," Knives muttered._

Kat's eyes widened and she turned to see Knives watching her with interest. The first thing she noticed about him was his ice-like eyes and white-blonde hair. 'Well let's see… I'm naked, covered in slime, can't remember what the hell happened and there's a man I've never seen before in my life standing there watching me as if he's used to seeing this stuff…' 

Loud, clumsy footsteps could be heard thundering up the stairs and Knives spoke without turning to see who it was, "What the hell took you so damn long?" 

The blonde paused in the doorway of the stairwell. His eyes became as big and round as saucers, proclaiming his surprise. There Kat was, three years older, and wearing nothing but slime. Vash didn't seem to notice this though since he ran over and began hugging the sticky teenager. "YOU'RE AWAKE! ImissedyousomuchandIthoughtyouweredeadandI'veneverbeensospookedinmylifeand… and…" 

It was just then that he noticed that Kat wasn't wearing anything. His face became as red as his coat and he let go of the bewildered and stunned Kat. She swayed on her feet but didn't say anything. Vash was too embraced to notice that he was now covered in slime.

'It's as if he's never seen someone naked before…' Knives thought. 'Knowing his luck I'm sure he hasn't.'

Kat's memories began to come back to her when her eyes landed on Vash. She remembered him being angry at her, then getting raped and having her throat slit. 

Her already wobbly legs buckled and she slipped, plunking back down into the cooling puddle of slime. She shook uncontrollably with fear and confusion. 'What's happened to me? It's as if I've aged five years but I can't remember anything…' 

Vash's concern grew when he noticed Kat was shaking uncontrollably. His embarrassment was replaced with concern. 'A human has never been healed by a plant. What will the side affects be? I know that she's learned out language but what else has she picked up?' He rushed over to help but as soon as he got within three feet of her Kat recoiled and slid as far as she could into a corner. 

Knives watched with a shortening attention span. It was a bit amusing to see his brother covered and dripping in slime, redder than his stupid coat and embraced beyond belief, but it was beginning to bore and confuse him. 'Spiders, the filth of this planet, are too weak and brittle. It's a wonder they survived this long.' 

"Leave," Vash said thinking that with Knives gone Kat wouldn't be as scared.

Knives snorted in annoyance, not liking his brother ordering him around, but using this as an excuse to leave.  

Vash waited until he felt his brother was far enough away, "Kat, I'm not going to hurt you."

She ignored him and continued to quiver. Her golden eyes darted nervously around the room as if someone was about to attack her. 

It hurt him to see her this frightened and he wondered if it was him that was scaring her so much. Vash sighed and leaned forward to peal some of the remaining mucus off her arm. When he got close a numb feeling seemed to run through his fingers in warning. Instead, the blonde shed his coat and draped it over the wreck that was once Kat. Her eyes finally landed on him and attempted to focus themselves, bringing her from her nightmarish thoughts. She looked up at him, tears in her eyes, before finally realizing who he was. She wrapped her aching arms around him, still shaking, and began to sob. Vash gently picked her up and carried her to his room. There were only two sleeping quarters, one for Knives and one for Vash, so he had decided it was better to keep an eye on her in his room. As soon as he put Kat on his bed, she passed out.

'I finally have a naked virgin girl in my bed… and here she is unconscious,' Vash thought sarcastically. He shoved his slightly more perverted thoughts away and turned his attention to the presence in the doorway. 

"Is it sleeping?" Knives asked as he glared at Kat.

"Unconscious," Vash corrected. 

"I can tell you like her dear brother, and it disgusts me to no extent, but if you try anything with this… thing… you'll deeply regret it," Knives sneered.

"Why is that?" Vash asked curiously (and also thinking that it was just a bluff to keep him away from her). 

"We have over one hundred and fifty thousand genes, _humans," he said with disgust, "Have only thirty thousand genes." He paused at the odd look his brother was giving him and his sneer grew more intimidating. "If you were to try to produce offspring…" He paused again for emphasis, "Well, let's just say the results wouldn't be _pretty_." _

"How many different chromosomes do we have?" Vash asked beginning to remember some of the things Rem had taught them in science.

"Fifty seven pairs," Knives answered, "Which means that we have one hundred and fourteen in all. This means that our sex cells should carry fifty seven chromosomes."

"Humans only have twenty three?" Vash asked not sure if he remembered correctly but not really caring. "What do you bean by _should?"_

"Not very smart are we?" Knives mocked. His eyes landed on Kat and he stared at her a split second longer than normal. His gaze returned to Vash. "You should know by now that plants are cloned from two sisters-"

Vash cut him off, "If all plants are cloned from sister plants then how did we-?"

"Never mind, you always asked too many questions." Then Knives muttered almost too low for Vash to hear, "I don't see how Rem could stand you."

He left the room leaving Vash to turn his attention back to Kat. 'Could that mean that Knives and I are part human? Is this what makes Knives so on edge lately? The fact that his perfect world might be crashing down around him may be too much to bear. It's a wonder he still thinks plants are better than humans, how could he? We act the same and share similar traits. Then perhaps he bases all his judgment on the crew of the ship? You can't judge an entire species by only a handful of people!' 

He rubbed his temples and sighed. He checked himself in the mirror and inspected the blackening parts of his hair. 'You're making me old Katsura. How is it that Knives has less black hair than me? He is the older brother and all of us know that black hair judges age so why will his life exceed mine?'

He sighed when he noticed that there was no chair or spare blankets. 'I guess I'll have to share a bed. Wonderful, she's naked and covered in slime… This is going to be great explaining to her in the morning.'

(**A/N: **One of the longer and better chapters I've written in a while! **PLEASE REVIEW!!!)**


	13. Give Me a Break

I'm guessing that thoughts aren't italicized in this story… I get so confused @_@ 

Sorry it took me so long to update! I had already written this chapter but I didn't know if I liked it or not… I still don't care much for it…

**PLESE REVIEW!!!**

**_The Telltale Heart_**

**Chapter 13**

**Ages: **

Vash- 131 

Kat- 16 

Kat woke up the next morning to a strange but comforting sight. She couldn't remember what had happened the night before but she really didn't care. That's when Kat noticed that she was wearing nothing but his coat and covered in slime. 'What the hell?!' She sat up and pulled the coat closer to her. 'What happened last night?! I can't remember! Was I drunk?!' Kat noticed that Vash looked slightly different than she remembered him being. 'His hair… It's black on the sides. Did he dye it? It makes him look… sexy.' Kat blushed and tried to stand. Her muscles gave way and she squeaked as she flopped back onto the mattress. 

Vash stirred a bit and noticed that something was shifting next to him. He wrapped an arm around what ever it was. 'Damn blankets…' 

Kat froze when she felt his arm wrap around her. 'Oh god…' She began to squirm some more to get free. 'Let go!' 

'Stop squirming!' Vash tightened his grip on the struggling thing and moved his hands to get a better grip. He noticed that what ever the thing was, it was warm and sticky. 

Kat stiffened and reddened when she felt Vash's hand lock securely around her chest. 'Don't wake up! Don't wake up! Don't wake-'

Vash opened his eyes when his foggy morning mind registered what he was gripping. His gaze met with Kat's for a brief moment and he could tell she was just as embarrassed as he was. He let go and scooted away in shock. 

Kat watched him as he slid off the side of the bed. She heard him connect with the metal floor and let out a startled yelp. "You always this graceful?" Kat asked as she leaned over the edge of the bed.  

"Only when I need to be," Vash answered as he stood up and attempted to regain his composure.

"What happened last night?" Kat asked slowly dreading the answer.

"Nothing!" Vash said a little too quickly.

"We didn't have-" Kat tried to ask.

"NO!" Vash said as he began to freak out. Then a little more calmly, "No, nothing happened. There was just nowhere else for me to sleep." 

"Oh the twisted webs you spiders weave," Knives mocked as he waltzed down the hallway. "There's a spare clothing storage room on the fifth floor," he threw over his shoulder then decided to add, "I don't **EVER **want to see a spider without clothing ever again!"

Kat gasped when she noticed that Vash's coat had slipped down to her waist. She quickly pulled it back up and blushed as red as the coat. 

"I'll go look for the storage room. There's a waterfall in the rec. room two floors down," Vash said as he took off. 

'A waterfall? What's that?' 

^_^

"Knives, how old are you and Vash?" Kat asked as she wrapped a towel around herself. She had needed Knives' help to find the waterfall since Vash had disappeared.

He sat with his back to her, "I'm 132 and Vash will be 132 tomorrow."

Kat continued to wring out her hair until her mind finally registered what he had said, "What?! You mean thirty-two don't you?" Her mind registered that she had no scars from her incident. 'Strange…'__

Knives turned around to face her, "I mean _one hundred_ and thirty-two spider."

'Ok yeah sure.' Kat went back to towel drying her hair. "So tomorrow is his birthday," Kat said allowed. 

"Not truly his birthday. Just the day Rem took us from the pod. I was taken out five days before him. Rem came back for Vash later on," he explained.

'Why the hell did he insist to hang around while I bathed?' "Do you ever celebrate?" Kat asked as she sat next to the older plant.

Knives shorted, "The only time we ever did that was our first year. Rem insisted on doing so."

"You keep mentioning my great grandmother, what was so important about her? And how could you have possibly have known her? You'd really have to be over one hundred to know her…" Kat watched as the expression on his face changed to sorrow and anger. 'Perhaps there's more to my grandmother than meets the eye?'

"I told you spider, all the plants here are over one hundred years old," Knives snapped.

'I wish he'd stop calling me spider… I wonder why he does that.' "What about Rem?" Kat pressed.

"You say you're related to her?" Knives asked.

Kat nodded, "I was."

"She died in the great fall," Knives said. 

"The great fall? I don't remember her dying like that. She died of old age. I went to her funeral. She was a strange woman though. Never stayed in one place. It was as if she was searching for someone," Kat commented.  

"She didn't die in the great fall," Knives thought allowed. "Wouldn't Vash be surprised to hear that?"

"Surprised to hear what?" Vash asked as he came up to them. "I got you some spare clothes. Took me a while to find them though."

"What's the great fall?" Kat asked him.

Vash almost dropped the clothes he was carrying, "Uh…"

"I caused it to kill off the rest of the humans. That bitch Rem stopped me though and supposedly escaped in an extra pod. Hear that Vash? She died of old age," Knives sneered and stood to leave.   

"Are you really one hundred and thirty?" Kat asked as Vash set her clothes down then turned to leave.

"One hundred and thirty-one. I come from earth and Rem was like a mother to us. She is the reason why you and everyone else on this planet are still alive. Knives is the reason we're all stuck on this miserable planet." 

'Oh I feel a migraine coming on, yes major migraine.' Kat thought to herself as she changed.

(**A/N: ***falls over* Me no likkie this chappie! I should rewrite it… key word: should… **PLEASE REVIEW!!!)**


	14. Wolf and Snow

Oh dear god it's been like a freekin year since I updated this story… I don't even remember where I was going with this story! NO!!! I have to figure out where to go with this… -_-

So with that said… here goes nothing.

**PELASE REVIEW!!!**

_Dedicated to Dev…_

**_Chapter 14_**

****

_'I'm no good at decorating…' _Kat thought as she attempted to hang up streamers she had managed to find. She stepped on top of her homemade ladder and it creaked in protest. _'If only I were as tall as Vash…' _

Knives watched from where he was sitting in the next room over and he flipped the page of the book he was reading acting as if he wasn't interested. He could hear Kat's pathetic ladder creak and he could see her climb to the top of the ladder out of the corner of his eye. 

_'Where'd I put the tape?' _Kat wondered as she fumbled around in her pockets. **_'Knives, you seen the tape?!' _** Kat asked, startling him.

Knives pretended to ignore her but Kat could feel him probing her mind. 

**_'I really wish you wouldn't do that!' _**Kat grumbled and threw his powers back at him. She then went on to read his mind. **_'I don't remember dropping it,' _**Kat muttered continuing to talk to herself if plant speech. 

Knives was amazed and shocked that she had read his mind so easily. _'I didn't even have time to block her. She's not a spider; our sisters must have transferred powers to her when she was healing. Unless she was born like that… That's impossible though.' _He shook off the thought and went back to watching Kat hang up the party decorations. Kat had managed to uncover some of the party decorations the gun-ho-guns had used when they were still around. 

Kat bent over to grab the tape, being too lazy to get off the ladder to get it, and her face paled when it began to creak and splinter. _'Uh…oh…'_

Kat still wasn't very good at covering her thoughts and Knives heard her. He saw the nails begin to slide out of the steps of the ladder and the wood pieces begin to fall off.

"Help me!" Kat yelled as the ladder finally gave way. 

Knives leapt out of his chair, tipping it over in the process, and moved as fast as he could to catch Kat before she fell. _'I'm not going to make it!'_

A blur of red flashed in front of Kat she connected with something soft. She blinked and opened her eyes to find she was sitting on top of Vash, who in turn was smashing Knives against the floor.

Kat blinked again, stunned that Knives had tried to save her and even more surprised that Vash could move so fast. She got off Vash and apologized to the plants, then helped them up. 

Vash looked around at the brightly colored room and Kat blushed.

**_'Knives said it was your birthday today… Happy 132!' _** Kat said to him. 

"You're getting better and better at plant speech," Vash noticed. 

"It gets easier the more I practice," Kat admitted. 

"So where are the presents?" Vash teased.

Kat produced one from behind her back, "It was all I could think of…"

Vash unwrapped it and was surprised to see that it was hand made. 

"It's called stained glass," Kat said as she took the present from Vash and held it up to the window. 

"What animals are they?" Vash asked as he examined the artwork. 

"I think they're called wolves. Rem always had a ton of books lying around with all sorts of odd earth creatures in them. I just always loved how graceful the wolf looked," Kat told Vash as she glanced at what she had made.

Three wolves one white, one brown, and one black were running across a snowy landscape, kicking up white powder as they flew over drifts. 

_'Beautiful…' _Knives thought as he scanned the image.

 "Glad you think so," Kat teased as she picked up his thoughts.

Knives snorted but didn't have any comments. 

"So what did you get me brother?" Vash asked.

"You haven't been out into the rec. room have you?" Knives asked.

Vash cocked his head in confusion but followed Knives out into the halls of the ship. Kat trailed behind just as curious as to see what Knives had planned for his brother.

The reached the door to the rec. room when Knives stopped them and handed Kat a sweater, "You're only half plant so you can't tolerate extreme temperatures like Vash and I. Please put this on."

Kat didn't object but she still had no idea why she would have to wear something that warm. 

The door to the rec. room slid open and all three were hit with a cold blast of air. Kat opened her eyes and her mouth dropped open**_, 'Snow…' _**Her feet crunched over the newly fallen white and she was so fascinated that she didn't realize just how cold it was. 

Vash was the last to follow and the rec. room door slid closed behind them and activated its hologram, making it look as if there was no door. He just stood there in complete shock staring out at the winter scene.  

Kat saw Vash standing there and decided to be a bit evil. She scooped up a wad of snow and hurled it at him. He let out a bewildered yelp and was knocked over onto his back. Kat laughed as she walked over, "Sorry abo-" She was cut off as something collided with her back. 

Stunned, Kat turned around to see Knives, with an amused expression on his face**, _'So is this what snow is used for Katsura?' _**

****

_'He said my name!' _Kat smirked and scooped up another wad when she was hit again this time by Vash. Both brothers began to toss snow balls at Kat and she took off screaming bloody murder. 

When Kat reached the top of a hill she paused, which was a mistake because she was hit hard with two large snow balls. But Kat wasn't paying attention to their war, she was staring transfixed at something in the distance**_, 'It can't be…' _**

****

**_'I see you found part two of my gift,' _**Knives said as he reached the top of the hill. 

Vash came up behind them and gaped, "Are those… _wolves_?"

Knives snorted, "Don't be so surprised brother, you're ugly enough already." 

Vash ignored the comment and stared with sparkling aqua eyes at the sleek and slender animals racing across the tundra. "Knives… how-?" Vash paused to see his brother had disappeared. Footprints lead back in the direction of the door and Vash guessed he had decided to leave the two alone. 

Kat's knees gave way and she collapsed in the snow. Vash sat down next to her. "It's impossible. These are the wolves from my stained glass… It's the same scene from my dream," Kat whispered as she watched the pack chase each other.

"You dream of wolves?" Vash asked.

Kat closed here eyes and tilted her head upwards to feel the snow flakes on her face, "Yeah sometimes… but in my dreams there was always someone else standing beside me, holding me close." Kat hugged herself and thought, _'If only my dreams would come true…' _ 

Vash heard the thought and fumbled around in his pockets nervously, "Well uh…"

Kat sighed and her breath came out as a puff, "I don't mean to sound strange…"

"There's been something I've been meaning to ask you…" Vash paused as his hand closed around what he had been searching for.

Kat's face was still tilted skyward and Vash took her hand and slipped something over her finger. Surprised, Kat looked down to see a ring with three glittering diamonds on it as white as the now and clear as water. 

"Will you marry me?" Vash finished his sentence. 

Kat stared at him with shocked golden eyes, "But weren't you going to adopt me? Don't you think I'm still just a little girl?" Her eyes shown with tears. 

Vash took her hand and rubbed it against his face. He looked into her eyes, "If I asked you to marry me, do you really think that I consider you as my daughter?" 

"We're over one hundred years apart…" Kat protested but found that she wasn't even convincing herself. 

Vash kissed her, "You know what I really wanted for my birthday?"

Kat took a handful of snow and rubbed it into his hair over the black parts, "A new gun?"

Vash laughed and he knew that Kat was just joking, "I wanted you."

Kat smiled and kissed him, "I know…"  
  


A howl sounded in the background joined by a chorus. The song of the wilderness was carried all the way to Knives, who was about to leave the rec. room. _'I'm happy for you Vash. You're entire life has been filled with pain. I may not understand what love is, but I'm getting there. Someday, I'll accept my past and find happiness just as you have…'_

The door slid closed behind him leaving Kat and Vash alone in the snow.

"I love you…"

~*~OWARI~*~

(**A/N: **Now originally, I figured that this story would be over twenty chapters but then I forgot all about it and lost the story line as well as whatever ideas I had so I decided to end it here. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I loved writing it! **PLEASE REVIEW!!!) **


End file.
